Pancreatic Cancer Causes And Risk Factors

Pancreatic cancer causes and risk factors - Pancreatic cancer is a form of cancer in the pancreas and is fortunately rare. The distribution between men and women who get pancreatic cancer is about the same. The prognosis is often poor because this type of cancer is usually only discovered late.

Because cancer of the pancreas is usually discovered in an advanced stage, healing is often no longer possible. Especially when it comes to a tumor under the head of the pancreas, it takes a long time before complaints come.

When the tumor clogs bowel or bile ducts, an early discovery is possible and the prognosis is slightly better.

To understand the symptoms, it is necessary to know something about the pancreas, or pancreas. The pancreas is a 12 to 15 cm long gland located in the back of the abdominal cavity and has two functions:

• Separate enzymes needed for proper digestion of the food.
• Creating hormones ( insulin and glucagon ), which help regulate the sugar metabolism in the blood.
• The enzymes that are produced in the pancreas, end up in the duodenum via a discharge channel. The place where these enzymes end up is called the papilla of Vater. In pancreatic cancer, the papilla of Vater can be blocked by a tumor and the pancreas in its function hamper. But tumors can also occur in other places in the pancreas.

Types of pancreatic cancer
There are different types of pancreatic cancer, depending on the exact location where they occur and the tissue they consist of. These are:

• The adenocarcinoma. This is cancer of the pancreas tubes. The adenocarcinoma is formed by glandular tissue and is the most common type of pancreatic cancer. It usually occurs in the head of the pancreas and is then called pancreatic head carcinoma.
• Tumors that do not consist of pancreatic tissue. These can originate, for example, from the tissue of the papilla of Vater, from the bile duct or the duodenum. In these cases, they are called ' tumor of the papilla of Vater ', ' biliary tumor ' or ' small bowel tumor ' respectively.

Pancreatic cancer causes and risk factors
The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is not known. However, there are a number of risk factors:

• Smoking significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.
• Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to chronic pancreatitis, which increases the risk of cancer of the pancreas.
• Hereditary predisposition plays a minor role.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer
Is pancreatic cancer symptoms? The most common complaints are:

• Pain in the abdomen or back
• Decreased appetite
• Weight loss
• Diarrhea

When the tumor presses against the intestines and bile ducts, the function of enzymes and bile is limited. Because the food digestion is disturbed, this causes the following complaints:

• Poor digestion
• Jaundice

The symptoms of jaundice are a yellowish skin tone and yellowish eye white. This is because the dye from the bile, which can not find a way out, accumulates in the liver and from there through the blood in the skin and eye white ends up. Jaundice is accompanied by a light stool and dark urine.

Prognosis in pancreatic cancer
Because cancer of the pancreas is usually discovered in an advanced stage, healing is often no longer possible. Especially when it comes to a tumor under the head of the pancreas, it takes a long time before complaints come. When the tumor clogs bowel or bile ducts, an early discovery is possible and the prognosis is slightly better.



Pancreatic cancer and nutrition
In pancreatic cancer, the diet deserves special attention. It is advisable to discuss the diet in consultation with the treating physician or a dietitian. The following tips can be taken into account:

Due to a lack of enzymes, there is a chance that the food is not digested properly and fatty diarrhea occurs. In that case, try to eat fatty products to prevent weight loss.
If you suffer from diabetes as a result of a reduced function of the pancreas, consult a dietitian.
In case of digestive complaints after surgery, eat small and non-greasy portions per day. Chew it well. It may be necessary to temporarily supplement the diet with additional (liquid) food.

Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
Making the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is not always easy. Often several studies are needed. Which these depend on the treating specialist and the hospital. A treatment is selected after the diagnosis.

*Image source : ePainAssist

References :

1. National Cancer Institute
2. MaagDarmLever.nl
3. American Cancer Society